Rockwall staff propose broad fee increases for development reviews, commissioners ask for mailing fee and review schedule

City planning staff presented a comprehensive revision to Rockwall’s development application fee schedule, telling commissioners the last full update was in 2005 and the city is not recouping current staff and mailing costs.

“Last time we amended our fee schedule was back in 2005, and the cost of a postage stamp then was 37¢. It’s now 78¢,” Director Ryan said while explaining why new charges are needed. The draft increases a variety of fees: a $1,000 site‑plan fee, higher zoning and plat fees (including a $1,500 plan development district fee plus $20 per acre), and a sharply higher non‑compliant structure fee (proposed to increase from $1,000 to $2,500).

Staff said the intent is cost‑recovery for staff time and mailing/notice costs, not revenue generation. To reduce the burden on residents, the proposal keeps many residential‑scale fees low (for example, single‑lot residential SUPs would see minimal increases). Staff also proposed a $500 landscape inspection fee for repeat inspections.

Commissioners asked detailed questions about what the city actually pays to mail notices and suggested adding a separate per‑case mailing charge rather than burying that cost in uniform fees. Commissioner Hagman suggested adding a flat notification charge; staff agreed to analyze actual mailing and newspaper notice costs and return with a recommended mailing fee. Several commissioners asked for a plan to revisit the fee schedule on a set cadence (for example, in three years) so rates do not lag inflation for decades.

Next steps: staff will produce a breakdown of actual mailing and publication costs and bring back a refined proposal (including a possible per‑notice charge) and recommendations for a regular review schedule.